A young mother in Bendigo is asking the government to change the lives of Australians living with diabetes by making diabetes technology more affordable.

Expanding subsidies to make Automated Insulin Delivery (AID) systems and Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices more affordable for people living with diabetes is a key area of focus for Diabetes Australia and the diabetes sector and was an important topic of discussion at the National Diabetes Summit on March 31.

For Caitlin, 32, diabetes technology is the difference between safety and risk for herself and for her eight-month-old son, Mac.

Caitlin was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of nine. Like thousands of Australians, she grew up managing the complex autoimmune condition that requires constant vigilance, precise insulin dosing and round-the-clock monitoring to stay alive. For much of her childhood and young adulthood, that management relied on her Mum finger-prick testing her every two hours every night and multiple daily injections of insulin.

As a young adult, access to insulin pump therapy improved Caitlin’s glucose management, but cost meant she could only use continuous glucose monitoring intermittently until the Federal Government introduced subsidies for CGM devices for Australians with type 1 diabetes in 2022.

“That decision by government changed my life,” Caitlin said. “Managing my glucose levels became safer, easier and more predictable.”

Caitlin said she had been told from the time she was a young girl that if she decided to have children, she would have a high-risk pregnancy and would need to have strong control of her glucose levels to avoid complications for both her and the baby.

“Before I got pregnant, I worked extremely hard to keep my levels in the healthiest range. The CGM and insulin pump helped me manage healthy glucose levels.

“Even with that tight, successful management (and I worked extremely hard to control my glucose levels) I ended up with pre-eclampsia. When he was born, Mac was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit because of concerns about his glucose levels and there were a few other things, but he’s just fine,” she said.

Caitlin is acutely aware that her health is inseparable from her child’s safety.

“My baby’s wellbeing depends on my wellbeing,” she said. “I’m constantly thinking about my glucose levels when I’m driving, when I’m alone at home, when I’m caring for him.”

Despite the proven health benefits, access to AID systems that combine insulin pumps with continuous glucose monitoring remains out of reach for many Australians with type 1 diabetes due to cost.

“Technology is about dignity, safety and equity. People should never have to choose between managing a life-threatening condition or their family’s needs, like paying a mortgage or even putting food on the table,” Caitlin said.

The diabetes community has united in its advocacy to help ensure people living with diabetes can receive the right support and care.

“Diabetes technology saves lives, reduces complications and keeps people out of hospital,” Diabetes Australia Group CEO Justine Cain said.

“Research shows that CGMs and insulin pumps are game-changing in managing glucose levels and preventing serious complications like heart attack, stroke, blindness and kidney disease.

“Diabetes management costs an individual thousands of dollars each year. It costs our health system billions of dollars each year. Diabetes technologies can help reduce those costs.

“It’s critical that the health sector, government, industry and the community work together to address the impact of Australia’s diabetes epidemic. The National Diabetes Summit is an important opportunity to strengthen that collaboration and drive meaningful action,” Ms Cain said.